I walked 10,000 steps with a weighted backpack every day for a week – here are five reasons I’m not stopping, Harry Bullmore, The Independent, March 7, 2025 – Use rucking to upgrade your walks, build strength and boost your fitness
 
Everyone loves a shortcut.  Any time you see a patch of grass at the corner of a pavement, it’s bound to be trampled down by people looking to shave milliseconds off their journey. The problem is, in the fitness world, you’ll be hard-pressed to find many shortcuts that actually work.
 
Rucking – wearing a weighted backpack while you walk – could be one of the few exceptions.  So I decided to give it a go, committing to walking 10,000 steps a day for a week with a weight on my back.
 
The practice originates in the military, but it’s attracted the masses in recent years thanks to its accessibility and appealing effort-to-reward ratio. Simply add weight to your walks to amplify the intensity and challenge your heart, lungs, legs, core and more. This can boost your fitness and build strength throughout your body – not a bad return from a pop to the shops, or any similar short jaunt.

The five advantages:
1. It’s accessible, 2. It’s versatile, 3. It can help us build strength, 4. It’s more than just a workout for our muscles, 5. The weight we use is important. 

Needless to say, there have been plenty of people over the years who have used rucking at Munibung Hill as part of their fitness program / routine, in preparation for some arduous extended walks and hikes in NSW and around Australia.  Training for the Kakoda Track has also been done.  Full story HERE